When heavy rainfalls touched down in the South Plains last summer, it led to a dramatic spike in the rodent population due to an abundance of vegetation.
“This is just a result of the abundance of food because of the pattern of moisture,” said Kevin Rhodes, Animal Curator and Life Sciences Director at the Science Spectrum. “Anytime we have a wet winter, it sets the stage for a pattern of growth for plants throughout the year, and that’s the stuff the rodents are going to feed on.”
According to Rhodes, it’s not only residents who live out in the country who have been dealing with these pesky pests. He says one of the best preventative methods is to simply keep aware of any little holes, cracks or lingering trash in and around your home, not only for the sake of cleanliness, but most importantly, your health.
“Don’t provide a place for junk, piled up trash, things like that are going to be hot spots for rodents to be around,” said Rhodes. “We want to make sure that people are safe and know that mice and rats are a big ‘no-no,’ because they are a Zoonotic carrier and people can get sick from complications that mice and rats have. It’s just an all around type of pest that probably needs to be kept in check.”
This increase in the rodent population is keeping pest control services and business busy and on their toes.
“Since July of last year, up until now, there’s been a tremendous amount of work that we’ve had to do,” said Tim Gafford of Gafford Pest Control. “We’ve never had a year close to this. We’ve bought more supplies and things than we’ve bought in the last eight to 10 years in just one year.”
Gafford says he goes through more pallets of bait and pesticides weekly than he used to.
“It’s just been all over the state of Texas. Anywhere where there was a major drought issue, they’ve experienced this. Keep your house good and sealed, keep your doors shut. Try to keep things like pet food, in plastic containers keeping it in your garage so they’re not out and about.”
If you think you might have a rodent problem, whether it is mice or rats, experts say to not attempt removing them yourself. Instead, consult a professional pest control service to look into the problem, and properly remove the pest(s) from your home.
